Minister Foley and Minister Byrne announce updated Procedures on the use of School Buildings and School Sports Facilities outside of School Hours

Minister for Education Norma Foley TD, and Minister of State for Sport, Physical Education and the Gaeltacht, Thomas Byrne TD, today announced updated Procedures on the use of School Buildings and School Sports Facilities outside of School Hours.

The updated procedures highlight the value and importance of school buildings and school sports facilities being used outside of school hours.

The objective of these procedures is to build on the strong track record of schools opening facilities to local communities so that opportunities for facilitating access are maximised to the greatest extent possible. To encourage the greater use of such facilities, the Department of Education will provide schools with a guarantee that any income from after-school use of their facilities will not affect their State grants, capitation fees or any other form of departmental funding.

To broaden awareness and improve access to the facilities, the department is putting arrangements in place for information on schools willing to make their facilities available outside of school hours (or already doing so) to be available for local communities.

As part of the department’s centennial commemorations in October 2024, a showcase event is planned for schools who are making their facilities available to communities. This showcase event will highlight the impact of schools in local communities.

Minister Foley said: “Many schools are already making their wonderful facilities available outside of school hours for the benefit of local communities. We want to encourage the use of our school buildings right throughout the week and the calendar year.”

Minister Byrne said: “I strongly welcome the publication of these updated procedures and encourage their use within schools and local communities. As a Government, we are working to promote lifelong participation in sport and physical activity and maximising the use of school sports facilities, outside of school hours, is one such way of achieving this aim. School sports facilities are a very important resource and maximising their use outside of school life adds greatly to the sustainability of local communities.

The benefits of school buildings and school sports facilities being used outside of school hours include:

• Supporting the social fabric of community life through facilitating access to local facilities,
• Helping serve the need for new community facilities in areas where there has been a strong rollout of residential developments,
• Facilitating the provision of after-school childcare to support working families,
• Reducing potential transport emissions in line with the Government’s Climate Action Plan by giving local people access to local facilities rather than those located further away and
• Supporting an active and healthy lifestyle for communities in line with the Healthy Ireland policy.

The updated procedures have been developed following engagement with stakeholders in the education sector and relevant government departments. The procedures replace the ‘Guidelines on the use of School Buildings outside of School Hours’, which were issued in October 2017.

The updated procedures also clarify the steps necessary to establish a crèche or pre-school within an existing building or on the grounds of a school. While the primary purpose of schools is the provision of primary and post-primary education the department is supportive of the use of available school property by childcare providers if there is space available and it does not interfere with the day-to-day running of the school. Supporting the provision of after-school childcare is very important and is strongly encouraged.

The new procedures have built upon the previous guidelines and emphasise certain requirements including the need for legal arrangements to be put in place, insurance, and that the proposed out-of-school hours activities should not affect the future development of the school. Much of the information in the procedures is now in bullet point format and there are a set of checklists in the appendices to facilitate ease of use.

Schools are reminded to seek the permission of their patron before making school facilities available.

ENDS

Fógraíonn an tAire Foley agus an tAire Byrne Nósanna Imeachta nuashonraithe maidir le húsáid Foirgneamh Scoile agus Áiseanna Spóirt Scoile lasmuigh d'Uaireanta Scoile

Preasráiteas 12 Meitheamh 2024

D'fhógair an tAire Oideachais Norma Foley TD, agus an tAire Stáit Spóirt, Corpoideachais agus Gaeltachta, Thomas Byrne TD, Nósanna Imeachta nuashonraithe inniu maidir le húsáid Foirgneamh Scoile agus Áiseanna Spóirt Scoile lasmuigh d'Uaireanta Scoile.

Léiríonn na nósanna imeachta nuashonraithe an luach agus an tábhacht a bhaineann le foirgnimh scoile agus áiseanna spóirt scoile atá á n-úsáid lasmuigh d'uaireanta scoile.

Is é cuspóir na nósanna imeachta seo tógáil ar an dea-theist atá ag scoileanna maidir le háiseanna a oscailt do phobail áitiúla ionas go mbainfear an leas is fearr is féidir as deiseanna chun rochtain a éascú. Chun úsáid níos mó na n-áiseanna sin a spreagadh, tabharfaidh an Roinn Oideachais ráthaíocht do scoileanna nach gcuirfidh aon ioncam ó úsáid iarscoile a n-áiseanna isteach ar a ndeontais Stáit, ar a dtáillí caipitíochta ná ar aon chineál eile maoinithe ón Roinn.

Chun feasacht a leathnú agus rochtain ar na háiseanna a fheabhsú, tá socruithe á gcur i bhfeidhm ag an Roinn chun eolas a fháil faoi scoileanna atá sásta a gcuid áiseanna a chur ar fáil lasmuigh d'uaireanta scoile (nó atá á dhéanamh sin cheana féin) le bheith ar fáil do phobail áitiúla.

Mar chuid de chomóradh céad bliain na Roinne i mí Dheireadh Fómhair 2024, tá ócáid seóthaispeántais beartaithe do scoileanna atá ag cur a gcuid áiseanna ar fáil do phobail. Cuirfidh an seórthaispeántas seo béim ar thionchar scoileanna i bpobail áitiúla.

Dúirt an tAire Foley: "Tá go leor scoileanna ag cur a gcuid áiseanna iontacha ar fáil lasmuigh d'uaireanta scoile cheana féin ar mhaithe le pobail áitiúla. Ba mhaith linn úsáid ár bhfoirgneamh scoile a spreagadh i rith na seachtaine agus na bliana féilire."

Dúirt an tAire Byrne: "Cuirim fáilte mhór roimh fhoilsiú na nósanna imeachta nuashonraithe seo agus spreagaim a n-úsáid i scoileanna agus i bpobail áitiúla. Mar Rialtas, táimid ag obair chun rannpháirtíocht ar feadh an tsaoil i spórt agus i ngníomhaíocht choirp a chur chun cinn agus is bealach amháin é úsáid áiseanna spóirt scoile, lasmuigh d'uaireanta scoile, a uasmhéadú chun an aidhm sin a bhaint amach. Is acmhainn an-tábhachtach iad áiseanna spóirt scoile agus tríd an úsáid is mó is féidir a bhaint astu lasmuigh de shaol na scoile, cuirtear go mór le hinbhuanaitheacht na bpobal áitiúil.

I measc na mbuntáistí a bhaineann le foirgnimh scoile agus áiseanna spóirt scoile a úsáid lasmuigh d'uaireanta scoile tá:

• Tacú le creatlach shóisialta shaol an phobail trí rochtain ar áiseanna áitiúla a éascú,
• Cuidiú le freastal ar an ngá atá le háiseanna pobail nua i gceantair ina bhfuil forbairtí cónaithe á gcur i bhfeidhm go láidir,
• Soláthar cúraim leanaí iarscoile a éascú chun tacú le teaghlaigh atá ag obair,
• Astaíochtaí féideartha iompair a laghdú i gcomhréir le Plean Gníomhaíochta Aeráide an Rialtais trí rochtain a thabhairt do dhaoine áitiúla ar áiseanna áitiúla seachas iad siúd atá lonnaithe níos faide ó bhaile agus
• Tacú le stíl mhaireachtála ghníomhach agus shláintiúil do phobail i gcomhréir le beartas Éire Shláintiúil.

Forbraíodh na nósanna imeachta nuashonraithe tar éis rannpháirtíochta le páirtithe leasmhara san earnáil oideachais agus le ranna rialtais ábhartha. Tagann na nósanna imeachta in ionad na dTreoirlínte maidir le húsáid Foirgneamh Scoile lasmuigh d'Uaireanta Scoile', a eisíodh i mí Dheireadh Fómhair 2017.

Soiléiríonn na nósanna imeachta nuashonraithe freisin na céimeanna is gá a ghlacadh chun naíolann nó réamhscoil a bhunú laistigh d'fhoirgneamh atá ann cheana féin nó ar thailte scoile. Cé gurb é príomhchuspóir na scoileanna oideachas bunscoile agus iar-bhunscoile a sholáthar, tacaíonn an Roinn le húsáid na maoine scoile atá ar fáil ag soláthraithe cúraim leanaí má tá spás ar fáil agus nach gcuireann sé isteach ar reáchtáil na scoile ó lá go lá. Tá sé an-tábhachtach tacú le soláthar cúraim leanaí iarscoile agus moltar go láidir é.

Rinne na nósanna imeachta nua forbairt ar na treoirlínte roimhe seo agus leagann siad béim ar riachtanais áirithe lena n-áirítear an gá atá le socruithe dlíthiúla a chur i bhfeidhm agus árachas, agus nár cheart go mbeadh tionchar ag na gníomhaíochtaí lasmuigh d'uaireanta scoile atá beartaithe ar fhorbairt na scoile amach anseo. Tá cuid mhaith den eolas sna nósanna imeachta i bhformáid pointí urchair anois agus tá sraith seicliostaí sna haguisíní chun éascaíocht úsáide a éascú.

Meabhraítear do scoileanna cead a bpátrúin a lorg sula gcuirtear áiseanna scoile ar fáil.

CRÍOCH